Psychobiotics: How mental health issues might be treated in the gut

In the not-too-distant future, mental health issues including anxiety, depression and chronic stress could be treated by taking a remedy that targets the gut.

That’s according to a relatively new but rapidly developing area of scientific research focused on how the gut microbiome (the colonies of bacteria that live in the human digestive tract) influences neurochemistry, specifically mood and emotions.

It was long thought the brain-gut axis (the two are connected primarily via a part of the parasympathetic nervous system called the vagus nerve) mostly involved the brain sending directions down to the gut.

A University of Cambridge study found people who were given a probiotic for 30 days reported a reduction in instances of negative moods, and had less of the stress hormone cortisol in their urine compared to those who were given a placebo.

“Considering our gut sends out chemical messages of its own separate from the brain, including producing around 90 percent of our mood calming neurotransmitter serotonin, it’s no surprise that having a healthy gut has been shown to be associated with enhanced mood regulation.”

There’s still a lot that isn’t known about the brain-gut relationship — such as which specific probiotics could alleviate depression and anxiety, and what dosage is required.

As we wait for scientists to discover more, Landau recommends maintaining a healthy gut – not just with probiotic foods or supplements but also prebiotics, ingredients that support and encourage the growth of probiotics.

“Foods rich in prebiotics and resistant starch are going to be particularly beneficial for helping the good probiotics flourish,” Landau explains.

“Green banana flour, which is rich in resistant starch also naturally contains 5HTP which is a precursor for serotonin, our mood-boosting hormone.